BOWMAN on Swimming...and Phelps

Swimming Technique, Jan-Mar 2005 by Brooks, Michael

University of Michigan coach Bob Bowman shares his coaching philosophies as well as his insights on Michael Phelps-from a young age grouper to the best in the world.

What makes Michael Phelps such an extraordinary athlete? To explore that question, we asked Coach Michael Brooks to interview Phelps' long-time coach, Bob Bowman. Here's how it went:

(Michael Brooks' questions and comments are in boldface. Bob Bowman's answers follow.)

Michael Brooks: Who have been the most important swimming influences on your coaching?

Bob Bowman: Paul Bergen, of course....Murray Stephens....David Marsh. Really, everyone I've had the opportunity to coach with-all of the coaches that I've worked with have taught me something.

What did you gain from these influences?

From Paul and Murray, that stroke technique was the most important thing. That doesn't mean you don't condition your swimmers, but without the technique, the conditioning is meaningless.

And from David, I saw how to build a group of people into a team and motivate them toward a goal. David is a master motivator. He's a technician as well, and all three share that, but he's more of a free thinker, more intuitive, whereas Paul and Murray are more structured in their approach, particularly Paul.

I tend to be more structured in how I do things, but from David, I learned that you get a feel for where the kids are on a certain day, and that's how you coach them.

How are you most different now from four years ago? Eight years ago?

I have a much more realistic perspective about what it takes to reach the top of the sport and to succeed there-about what things are important and what are not.

What are some of your early coaching ideas that you've changed over the years?

The most important factors leading to high performance may not have anything to do with training: the mental, emotional, psychological aspects are far more important than just the training program. I think eight years ago, I would have told you that if I could just have enough pool time, or the right set to do, I could have accomplished any goal.

Do you think that's common among younger coaches...that they think if they can only get the magic sets from established coaches, their swimmers will take off?

Yes, I think it's very common: if they just get the right set or the right drill or the right gadget, that will make the difference. They've got to get the right swimmer first-that helps...a lot.

You've been on several national team coaching staffs over the last few years and have been in contact with and watching closely the best in the world. What factors distinguish the swimmers at the very top from those near it?

Those at the pinnacle can take care of the myriad of little things that go into performing at peak over and over throughout a long and stressful meet like the Olympics.

Michael (Phelps) has been learning since he was 11 and 12 how to take care of himself-how to prepare physically and mentally for each event, how to race, how to warm down sufficiently, when to take his sports drink to jumpstart recovery, when and how to rest for maximum recovery, how to get to bed early and avoid the distractions of most kids his age, how to deal with getting drug-tested countless times, etc.

The parts of his life all point toward swimming fast. He "practiced" traveling and how to maintain his form through time changes and long flights. He didn't wait until the Olympics or the Trials to learn these things-he's been learning them since he was 12.

This sounds very similar to the idea in motor learning that you make a motor pattern automatic through repetition, then that frees the mind to focus during a race on tactics and racing instead of on the minutia of the stroke.

It's exactly the same, but in a different context. I just think that Michael has learned over a long period of time, step by step and fairly systematically, a very detailed and successful plan that goes with his swimming, and it's part of who he is so that he doesn't even have to think about the details.

He has become so habituated that the routine is sub-conscious, so he can focus on the races ahead and how he wants to swim, instead of constantly being worried about whether he did this or that, whether he forgot this or that. He now gets into a zone and he is free to focus on higher order performance issues.

How has Michael changed how we think about IM at the elite level?

Most importantly, he's brought speed to the event. And that's an obvious improvement he's made over the last four years. He's much speedier now. The first 200 of his 400 is devastating. He goes out in 55 in the fly-easily-and very few others can do that and be under control. I think that's what separates Michael from the Dave Whartons and Tom Dolans of the world. They were great swimmers and fantastically fit; Michael is fit and has speed.

There seemed to be a trend over the past couple of decades toward specializing in one or maybe two events. Yet Michael turned that trend completely around. Do you see more top swimmers in the future following Michael's lead in expanding their event programs?